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3 Secrets and Sanctuary

Mr. Otis entered the room, placing his brief case and purple top hat on his desk. He smiled and stepped to the front of the room. He stretched his arms out wide and stomped his foot as he presented his outfit.

"Dressed as I am, what do I look like to you?" No one answered, I fiddled with my necklace. "Come on, first thing the pops in your head."

"A homeless guy."

"A mortician."

"A zombie?" One quiet boy asked. Mr. Otis pointed to him and smiled wider.

"Yes. As you seemed to enjoy my unicorn costume last week and my troll costume the week before, I thought I'd choose something a bit less obvious this time. I wore this as inspiration for our project this week."

Mr. Otis passed out papers to all of us, and to be honest I wasn't that excited. I attempted a smile when Mr. Otis looked at me when he inspected the reaction to the project. He smiled a tad through his disappointed façade.

"Will this be an oral report or written?" Vlad asked from next to me. I tried not to turn to him; if I looked at him I would feel that weird pull thing again. It keeps getting stronger, sometimes I don't even have to look at him for it to happen, and it just does!

"I'm glad you asked. Since I first began teaching you, we've been learning the folklore and history of a different mythological creature every week. This week we will embark on the study of supernatural beings, and at the end of our studies, you will each be turning in a thousand-word essay on one of those supernatural creatures, as well as giving an oral presentation near the end of February." Mr. Otis filled his purple top hat with small pieces of paper. "These will be no ordinary reports. I want you to write them as of you were the creature you draw from my hat. Tell me how you feel, what your strengths are, your weaknesses, any special abilities you may have. Tap into what makes you a witch, a werewolf, a vampire, and so on. Show me the true nature of yourself."

Mr. Otis walked along every desk so the class can pick their creature. I was nervous, because, well, I'm always nervous! I have lived here in Bathory for about four weeks now, and I am getting used to it.

When Mr. Otis stood between Vlad and me and passed the hat to me I reached in slowly. I gripped a slip of paper and opened it in curiosity. Vampire. The paper read vampire in Mr. Otis's messy writing. I couldn't do vampire! I didn't know anything about them! Not a thing! I've never been involved with vampires in my whole life!

Then he turned to Vlad, who looked even scared to read the paper. He was thankful apparently but then confused while Mr. Otis seemed upset. Then his confusion turned into shock.

"Vampire?"

"A wise choice, Vladimir. I'll be looking forward to reading your perception of vampires." Otis muttered as he leaned toward Vlad.

"But, Mr. Otis. I don't want vampire. I don't know anything about them, at all! My cousin never let me even see a movie about them!" I explained, trying to get an easier topic.

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Otis smiled and slide glanced at Vlad before turning to the front of the class. "Now, back to zombies. Any guesses as to what their diet consists of?" What did he mean by that? I just said I was forbidden from vampire and he insists that I am not? I always knew there was something off about Mr. Otis but still…

I didn't really think about it all the way until lunch as I sat next to Henry. Henry perked up and waved over at the door. I looked up, finding that was a mistake, Vlad walked over to us and sat down. Every step he took felt right but horribly wrong as he got closer to Henry and I. Henry ate his Hostess cupcake in one bite and showed it through his teeth, I cringed and Vlad chuckled and sat down across from me and my cousin. Vlad ate his sandwich easily and threw it all away afterward. Then Henry offered him a cupcake which he ate without delay.

Vlad burped loudly, Henry laughed. "Excuse me." I was used to it; I lived with Henry and Greg.

"So when are you asking Meredith to the Snow Ball? It's coming up soon you know." Henry asked. I felt a nudge of a bad mood edging into my day.

"I'm not sure I'm going to." This brought a bit of relief but Henry didn't give up.

"Why not? You've only been crushing on her since the third grade. And a girl like Meredith you have to ask well in advance." Vlad looked beyond Henry and I could probably guess he was watching the girl we were talking about.

"Better to be crushing on her than to have my heart crushed by her. Besides, I think she likes someone else."

"Like who? You're making excuses again. Just ask her, Vlad. She's just a girl. Worst thing she can say in no." Vlad still seemed unsure and I sighed.

"Oh just do it!" I snapped, rolling my whole head with my eyes. Both boys turned to me. "You do like her right?" He nodded. "Then ask her! Just do it, trust me she'll say yes. Who wouldn't want to go on a date with you?" I held my breath when I realized what I said, Henry laughed.

"At least you got a back up!" I wacked him on the head and he stopped laughing. As he rubbed the back of his head I tried to stop blushing.

"I was just trying to help him!" I snapped. The bell for lunch rang and we all departed. As I entered, and endured homeroom I thought about Vlad. He seemed to be taking over every thought in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking of him, or even attempting a glace his way. It frightened me to feel this way about someone I just met. But his black eyes were like water in the desert for me. And at times he seemed almost… dangerous to the extent that I think he could kill me if he wanted to. Yet I couldn't force myself to be scared of him.

When the class ended I stood and lifted my bag onto my shoulder. As I was about to pass through the door I saw Vlad stay by Mr. Otis's desk. I had already gotten used to walking to my locker with him, it was natural. We walked there together, waited for Henry, and talked. Sometimes Vlad would even come over to our house.

"Vlad…?" I questioned him when he didn't move.

"Go on Mina." He answered. I nodded and left him to talk to our substitute. I walked to my locker and waited for Henry.

"Hey Mina!" I turned and smiled to Henry. "Where's Vlad?"

"He stayed back to talk to Mr. Otis." He nodded and we started to walk home. "So how was your day?"

"It was good. Nothing really happened. How about you? You've been in Bathory for almost two weeks. How do you like it?"

"I like it a lot here. It's better than other places I have been. It's great!"

"I'm glad you like it. Anyone new you met?"

"Well yeah. But I get along better with you and Vlad."

"That's great. We can hang out with you, we don't mind. I know Vlad doesn't."

"What do you mean?" I asked him, turning pink at Vlad's name. "Why wouldn't he mind?"

"Well, he just asks me if you are coming or not when we hang out now. And he said he gets along with you too. Oh, like today in our seventh hour! He asked if you were coming with us to Stokerton. When I said no he wanted me to see if you wanted to."

"He asks about me?" I turned dark red and pushed my hair behind my ears.

"Oh don't get all red Mina! He just wants to know."

"But why though?"

"He said something like he knows what it's like to be new or different something. So he wants you to be welcome. And also since you're my cousin and all."

"Oh…" I muttered, staring at my shoes.

"So, do you want to go to Stokerton this weekend or not?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Wonderful! I'll call Vlad later and tell him." I nodded as we entered the front door of our house. I went into my room and flopped on the bed. I squealed and hugged my pillow. Sure, Vlad only thought of me because I was his best friends' cousin and he felt bad. But still! He thought of me! I rolled around on the bed and stood, giggling like a maniac.

Then I stopped dead in my tracks.

Why was I so excited that Vlad thought of me anyway? What in the world triggered the giggling episode I just had? I have had Joss's friend do that same thing, not so often, but still. Yet then I never really minded. Half the time I would turn them down anyway. So why now is it thrilling for a cousin's friend to care about me?

Each and almost every time Joss had later revealed that they liked me. Or at least they liked me to a small extent. Yet I knew that Vlad fancied Meredith. If he liked her he couldn't be asking about me because he liked me. So why did he even ask in the first place?

And come to think of it, why does he care? Why does he invite me with them? And why doesn't he just invite me himself? He couldn't possibly be like Joss's friends could he? And, why did he always seem tense around me, like in restraint? He always seems to be in an attempt to hold his breath or avoiding close contact, why? He also seemed to pull back at my touch, like he felt the electric current too, did he?

I now had a lot of questions to ask Vlad. Though I know I will never bring myself to do so. It was worth a shot to try and find the answers in silence, I was good at that. So now I made a promise to myself that I will try and answer all my questions if it kills me. Questions unanswered are unnerving, especially in the case of Vladimir Tod.

There! Now review please! Tell me what you think! And also I vant to know your opinion on Mina. Please? Now click that button down there! THE POWER OF VLAD COMPELS YOU!